Christian Persecution: A Horrendous Worldly Reality

This article is something that is very close to my heart as the title speaks of my personal identity as a Christian. I am a proud Catholic and Christian. I practice my faith, principles, and beliefs as a Christian, from the moment that I was baptized up to the present. Thus personally, it is a sad reality for me, to see that being a full-pledged Christian myself, seeing that my fellow Christians around the world, are persecuted and condemned, most especially in the countries wherein the majority of their population practices another religion, through the international news scheme and platform. 

However, I did come to my senses and realized greatly that it is indeed a prevalent reality in these countries, that the practice of Christianity and Roman Catholicism as an identity and religion, is a big issue and insult, to the government and authorities of these nations, as they see it to be overpowering than the religion that they practice, believe and live by. 

What is Christian Persecution?

In general, Christian Persecution is a violent and virulent act and practice of condemnation to Catholics and Christians that is rampant in some nations of the world. It is understood, viewed, and depicted as a form of discrimination and disrespect to the religion and practice of Roman Catholicism and Christianity in a specific country. 

Christian Persecution is performed in numerous acts and motives that range from routinary discrimination in Education, Employment, Social Life, Kidnapping, Murder, and Genocidal Attacks that are in a similarity to the Exodus of the Israelites in the Holy Bible, performed against and directly to various Christian communities. 

In addition, inhumane forms of Christian Persecution has increased throughout time and these are evident through Martyrdom, Violent Threats, General Harassment, Detention, Imprisonment, Legal Discrimination and Incitement to Hatred that are vivid through media and pulpits wherein the crosses that are built and stationed above the place where Christians and Catholics spend their religious gatherings and activities are trampled, burnt and destroyed by the non-Christian believers of those countries that are in hatred to Christianity. 

In this article, we will be witnessing different real-life stories and experiences that were taken from 4 steadfast Christians who experienced persecution in the different parts of the world. We will be looking deeply into their points of view, perspectives, and take on the negativities that persecution brings to an individual  as a wholly presumptive nightmare of a lifetime.

Real-life Experiences of Christian Persecution

Ji Hyeon A

First and foremost, we will be placing the limelight of focus on Ji Hyeon A. Ji Hyeon A is an empowered woman survivor of Christian Persecution herself. She experienced different kinds of persecution in North Korea such as physical torture, rape, and human trafficking four times in a row. Because of the rape incident that she experienced, it resulted in her being pregnant, out of the violence that she experienced. However, sadly, because she was physically tortured, she lost the baby eventually due to bleeding.  But despite these traumatic experiences, she never faded from her faith in God. She remained steadfast with her faith in God, she believes that God is present, and she believes in everything that she reads and has learned from the Holy Bible itself. 

In addition, Ji Hyeon A attended strongly and firmly, the 2018 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State. When she attended the ministerial, her fervent belief and depiction of God were more strengthened and more tangible with her identity as a Christian. In conclusion, Ji Hyeon A is proud to live her life as a full-pledged Christian and advises Christians around the world to never deny their faith in God and to never exchange their identity as Christians with blasphemous prodding and denial. 

Dabrina Bet-Tamraz

Secondly, we will rotate the lens of the spotlight to another survivor of Christian Persecution, in the person of, Dabrina Bet-Tamraz. Dabrina was raised as a Christian in Iran. Iran is known to be a country in the Middle East, wherein, majority of the country’s population believes and lives the Islam religion, which results in people in Iran to be very hostile to Christian and Catholic practitioners, followers, and believers. 

Fervent with their faith and profound with their belief in God’s existence, Dabrina’s family was arrested and harassed by the authorities of the country. Forms of inhumane and degrading treatments such as detention, imprisonment, sexual harassment, and hostile acts such as belittling their identity as Christians, continuously telling them to give up on their Christian faith and to deny their faith in God were experiences that she and her family will never forget in Iran. 

When her family got the opportunity to flee and escape from the country’s restrictions, Dabrina attended the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State. In conclusion, Dabrina encourages Christians and Catholics around the world to never give up on believing in God, to never shy away from an unforgiving crowd whenever you are asked by your religion of preference. In conclusion, she firmly believes that religion is a way of life and it influences your personhood as a whole. 

David Wood

Third, let us place on the spotlight, the documentary of David Wood. David Wood is a native of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. By profession, advocacy and campaign, he is a Christian American apologist, as well as the head of Acts 17 Apologetics Ministry. According to David Wood, Christian Persecution is still prevalent in this world, and Christians suffer the most during these present times. 

He shared with the distinction that as a summary, 50 countries all over the globe are considered to be dangerous to live in, if the individual’s thrust-oriented purpose is to follow Jesus. These countries are located in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, respectively. 

He also emphasized that, despite the past traces of Roman Catholicism and Christianity, that impacted some parts of the world, these countries remained to be in huge disagreement and hostility, to the presence of Christians in their country, following the way of life that Jesus did, that is centered on simplicity, humility,  others-centered and most importantly, being innately and immensely human. 

In conclusion, Wood believes that the eradication and abolishment of Christian persecution in the world will only prevail if acceptance and open-mindedness will be widespread in the countries concerned, through its government, authorities and citizens living in it. 

Daniel Wong and John Macarthur

Fourth and fifth, we will conclude this article with the two points of view about Christian Persecution, basing from the perspective of a survivor and a pastor. 

Dr. Daniel Wong is a native of Maryland, USA. He is a professor at The Master’s College, which is now known as The Master University in Santa Clarita, California. The university is known as a non-denominational and conservative Christian liberal arts institution of learning. 

Personally, Dr. Wong experienced various kinds of persecutions as a Christian, specifically with the Red Guards, during the Cultural Revolution that transpired in China. He regarded the experience as something that will never be forgotten, traumatic, and horrible. He firmly believes that no Christian, Catholic, or any other follower of a certain world religion deserves to be persecuted and discriminated against because of his or her chosen religious preference. But despite that, he never resulted in renouncing his faith but rather, he fervently remained still despite the circumstances that he was in during that particular event of his life. 

On the other hand, John Macarthur is a native of Los Angeles, California. As an American pastor and the author of a Christian teaching radio program named “Grace to You”, he believes with 100% conviction, that the weakness of the church in the realms of America, is its superficiality, shallowness, and hypocrisy that is relative to the absence of cost and price that entails to be a Christian. 

In conclusion, Macarthur believes that if Christian Persecution did not occur and exist in the world, people would have been free to talk about and follow the teachings of Jesus with utmost liberty and without the fear of being beheaded, burnt alive, crucified, be eaten alive by lions or humiliated in front of a crowd of people, in comparison to what happened to the early Christians that were persecuted in Rome during the time of Nero, as history tells. But sadly, because of the concurrent situation, they fear to pay the price that would entail the end of their lifetime as well as the death of their faith for fear of being killed and executed. Christian Persecution may be terrible and horrendous, but the Christian Community can still hope that one day, this will also have its end, in God’s perfect time.